Low temperature formation of .BETA.-FeSi2 polycrystalline microstructure by pulsed laser deposition and thermal annealing

Abstract

β-FeSi 2 polycrystalline microstructure was successfully formed at exceptionally low temperature in the form of droplet with room temperature pulsed laser deposition and post-annealing below 350 • C employed. Evidence of the β-phase formation was obtained through microscopic Raman spectroscopy and TEM analysis. The low temperature nature may originate from formation of intermediate amorphous phase possibly provided by quick heat removal from Fe-Si melts generated by laser ablation. This low temperature scheme offers an alternative method of producing polycrystalline β-FeSi 2 without higher temperature processes, which could be beneficially compatible with the standard Si device fabrication processes.

IR laser photodeposition of a-Fe/Si films developing nanograins of ferrisilicate, iron disilicide and rare hexagonal iron upon annealing

“…26), ion-beam 27 and magnetron 28 sputtering and pulsed laser deposition. 29 Nanocomposites of Si and Fe, which a have been given much less attention, were obtained only by rod milling 20 and IR laser pyrolysis of gaseous Si and Fe precursors. 30 One of the promising approaches to new nanosized Fe/Si materials is IR laser-induced chemistry for gas-phase deposition of Fe and Si elements from gaseous precursors such as silane and iron pentacarbonyl.…”